Anchor-post



A. L. MELVIN.

ANCHOR POST.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 26. 1915.

Patented July 27, 1920.

HLBNET LJHELYIH .4444 zV/Lw,

' FIGJJI UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT L. MELVIN, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

ANCHOR-POST.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J lily 27, 1920.

Application filed November 26, 1915. Serial No. 63,381.

.exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the'art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form. a part of this specification.

This invention relates to anchor posts for use in supporting the framework of billboards, tanks, windmills and various other structures, and its object is a cheap and efficient device for the purpose that may be readily withdrawn from the ground. W Vith the framework of billboards ,now ordinarily in use, the anchor posts are provided with a broad base and, if the superstructure is to be removed as is often required with bill-boards, it is quite expensive to excavate a sufficient area to secure the'anchor posts and to leave the anchorposts in the ground is also an expense. With the device herein disclosed the post is adapted to be driven into the ground, thus not requiring eXcavation to place the post and thepost is so constructed and arranged that after being driven it may be secured from removal by strain directly on the post itself by-wind pressure or other force. The arrangement is such, however, that on proper manipulation of the locking device as. herein disclosed, the post may be readily withdrawn for usein another location without the necessity of excavating. An object of the invention, therefore, is an anchor post adapted to be driven into the ground and pro vided with ameans adapted to be set after the post is in place preventing removal of the post by force applied to the -post-;and also adapted for ready removal-byarelease of the setting means from the-surface of the ground. These and other objects and the several novel features of the invention are hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown .in the accompanying drawings in which 7 v Figurel is a perspectiveview of a'billboard showing one of the anchor posts in position. I

Fig.2 is an enlarged side elevation of the post, the dotted lines showing the position of the parts when set to prevent withdrawal of the post from the ground.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the post taken at a right angle to that shown in'Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a driving head by means of which the post may be driven into the ground. 7

Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the head taken on line :r-a-of Fig. 4E.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a plate used as a guide at the surface of the ground tending to hold the post in vertical position while being driven and preventing a drift of the post during the driving operation.

Similar characters refer to similar parts throughout the drawingand specification.

The post may be of any size required for use with the various structures to which it may be applied and preferably consists of an angle-iron body member 1, one leg thereof being sharpened at the end 2, as shown particularly in Fig. 8, so that it may readily enter the ground. Slidably mountedon the inner angle of the body member 1 isthe locking bar or member 3 also formed of angle-iron and preferably less in length than the body member'l. 'This member 3is provided with a slot 4; or provided with holes in oneof itslegsand a bolt 5 passing therethrough secured to the body member which prevents displacement of the locking bar relative to the body member. Pivotally mountedat 6 to the lower end? of the lock ing bar is a dog. 8 having a shank extending through a slot9 formedjin one of the legs of the. post as shown particularly in Figs. 1 and 2. Thelower end 10 of the dog is pointed and is notched at 11 on the inner side thereof to en 'age over the end of the unsharpened leg of the body 1 as shown particularly in. Fig. 2. The end 10 of the dog being pointed as shown andone leg of the body-beingalso pointed as at.2, the device may be readily driven into the ground. After being so driven to position so that the upper end of the post projects slightly above the ground exposing. the bolt holes 12 therein to which the superstructure maybe secured, the locking bar 3 is then driven downward." The slot 9 through which the shank of the dog 8 extends, as shown in. Fig. 2, is of such length that the first down- 8 then engages the bottom end. of the slot 9 and further downward movement of the locking bar 3 finally forces the dog 8 to assume the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, at a right angle to the anchor post and extending into the earth at the side thereof. With the parts in this last described position force applied to the post 1 to with-' draw the same from the ground tends to draw the dog upward through the ground at a right angle to the post. The dog 8 is made wider than the leg of the post as is indicated in Fig. 3, and thus great force would be required to move the dog in such locked position as the withdrawing force applied to the post is applied to the dog at the lowermost point of the slot 9 as shown in Fig. 2, at one side of the pivot point and thus tends to draw the dog bodily upward through the ground. As no'ordinary pressure applied tothe framework is suflicient to thus withdraw the-post, the framework is securely held in position.

To readily withdraw the post from the ground, it is first necessary to bring the dog to position parallel with the post. This may be accomplished by'first pulling the locking bar 3 upward by any convenient instrument having an end adapted to engage the aperture 13 inthe upper end of the locking bar. The upward movement of the bar 3 draws the pivoted end of thedog upward until the shank thereof engages the upper end of the notch Q'and further upward movement of the locking bar turns the dog on 'thepivot point 6 parallel to the post in position to be readily removed.

It is to be noted. that the lower end. 7 of one leg of the locking bar is greater in length than the other leg which is provided with a blunt end 30. J This end 30 upou driving the locking bar downward to force the dog into locking position, engages against the shank of the dog aseshown by dottedlines preventing further downward movement of the bar after the dog is forced to the locking position and preventing fur ther'upward movement of the dog about its pivot. Afterthe locking bar has been driven, the

super-structure may be secured to the post.

by bolts passing through the holes 12 in the upper end thereof. vAfter the superstructure and bolts are in place the locking bar may no longer be moved upward relative to the body member and the locking device is thus held in locked position. 1 In order that the anchor post may be driven without injury to the driving end thereof, I preferably employ a drivng head 15 formed of any convenient material as metal, and in the lower end of this head is formed an angle shaped recess 16 fitting the angle-iron body'member 1. When placed on the body member the end of the body member engages a shoulder 18 in the head at the bottom of the angle shaped recess 16. After the posthas been driven by use of the head, it is then necessary to drive the locking member 3, and for this purpose the head is provided with an angle shaped hole 17 extending through the head and form ing an enlargement of the recess 16 on the inner angle thereof. After the post has been driven an angle iron is inserted in this angle shaped hole 17 engaging the end. of the locking bar 3 and held in engagement therewith by this driving head. By driving the bar 3 the dog 8 is forced to locking posit-ion as heretofore described.

In driving posts of the nature herein disclosed it is oftentimes a difficult matter to drive the post in vertical direction due to the nature of the ground, etc.,'and to prevent-a drift of the post duringthe driving operation I provide a plate 19having an L shaped opening 20 preferably centrally therein adapted to engage over the upper end of the post after it has been started slightly in the ground. This plate is also provided with corner aperture 21, 21,

etc., through which pins may be driven to hold the same in position on the surface of the ground. This plate tends to holdgthe upper end of the post from side wise move description it is evident that the post is'simple in construction andinexpensive, being formed of angle-iron parts and not requiring any machine work of a particular nature. The dog 3 may be formed of any desirable material, as malleable iron or other material not readily injured in theiise to which the device is put and the device is readily insertible into the ground and locked from removal therefrom by force applied to the post itself.

Having thus briefly described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. An anchor post comprising a body member, a member adapted to 'engageover one end of the body member, providing a driving point therefor, a bar slidable on the to the slidable member, means for holding the anchoring device in position to form a driving point for the said body during the driving thereof, and means whereby downward movement of the slidable member releases the anchoring device from driving po-' sition and forces it to anchoring position.

3. An anchor post comprising a body member adapted to be driven into the ground, a member relatively slidable thereon, and a dog or looking plate providing a driving point for the body member and having a shank extending through a slot provided in the body member and pivoted to the sliding member whereby said dog or plate may be forced to locking position by downward movement of the sliding member.

4. In combination an anchor post, a member having a hooked end normally engaging over the end of the post providing a driving point, a bar slidably mounted on the post to which the hooked member is pivotally mounted, downward movement of the bar releasing the point from engagement with the post and forcing it to anchoring position, a driving head for the post having a recess for the upper end of the post, and an aperture therein offset relative to the recess and in alinement with the end of the bar providing a guide for the insertion of a driving implement for the said bar.

5. An anchor post comprising an angle iron body member having a slot in one of its legs near the lower end thereof, a locking member slidable on the body member, and a dog or looking plate providing a driving point for the body member and having a shank extending through the slot in the body member and being pivoted to the sliding member, the arrangement beingsuch that movement of the sliding member forces the dog or plate to a position at an angle to thebody member, and that upward movement of the sliding member relative to the body member draws the dog or plate to the body member substantially as described.

6. An anchor post comprising a body member formed of angle iron and having a slot in one of the legs thereof near the lower end, the other of the legs having a sharp end, an angle iron locking bar slidably secured to the body, a dog pivotally mounted to the lower end of one of the legs of the locking bar having a shank extending through the slot in the body member and adapted to be engaged by the end of the other leg of the locking bar when forced to locking position, said dog having a sharp edge, and a slot at the rear of said sharp edge adapted to engage over the unsharpened leg of the body member when the looking bar is drawn to its uppermost position relative to the body member, said slot being of such length that downward movement of the locking bar relative to the body member first disengages the notched part of the dog from the said engaged leg, and further movement causes the shank to engage the bottom'of the slot to turn the dog to practically a right angle with the body member substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification.

ALBERT L. MELVIN. 

